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Home My Public Portal AboutCouncil on Aging Board -- 2023-02-16 MinutesTown of Brewster Council on Aging Board Meeting—Thursday February 16, 2023 L - 1.00 — 3.00 PM rf°F TFu -µIt. CLELK Brewster Town Hall, 2198 Main Street, Brewster, MA 02631 Board members attending: Andrea Nevins, Sharon Tennstedt, Jill Beardsley, Jay Green, Penny Holeman, and Laura Usher Board members absent: Steve Holmes Others Attending: Elton Cutler, COA Director, Annie Rapaport, Program Coordinator, Cindy Bingham, Select Board Liaison, and Honey Pivirotto, Finance Committee Liaison 1. Call to Order Co -Chair Andrea Nevins called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm. 2. Declaration of a Quorum A. Nevins declared a quorum based on the number of board members present. 3. Meeting Participation Statement The meeting participation statement was read by A. Nevins. 4. Approve Minutes: January 19, 2023 The minutes were reviewed with no corrections. Motion: Approve January 19 2023 minutes. Approved unanimously. 5. New Director Introduction and Director's Report Elton Cutler was introduced as the new COA Director and provided his first Director's Report. Highlights of his report included: • The COA continues to accept payments for the Community Garden plots on Lower Road for 2023. • The Senior Work -Off Program received and approved 16 applications, and placements have been assigned. • The monthly Healthy Meals in Motion provided food to 48 households; staff were assisted by the CERT team. • The COA provided transportation for the FOBE trip to the Cape Symphony on February 12. • Appointments for AARP tax prep are filling quickly, with 65% of appointments scheduled. • Staff have been trained and have begun issuing the new shellfish licenses to older residents. • Staff are also being trained to use all features of the MySeniorCenter software. This software will be used for scheduling appointments and sign-ups for programs, recording telephone inquiries, as well as for collecting data for reports. • There is a new system for SHINE appointments with volunteers available every Thursday through September. • Students at the Eddy School made valentines that were distributed at the Valentines Day party and to MOW recipients. • All staff positions are now filled with the addition of Lauren Williams at the front desk. Finally, Elton thanked Sharon Tennstedt, Karen Thurber and others who volunteered to cover the front desk over the past 3+ months. 6. Program Report & Review FY22/23 Action Plan Implementation Ms. Rapaport presented highlights regarding recent and upcoming programs included in the action plan implementation report. • The Valentine's Day Party was very successful. • The recent film at the Serenity apartments was attended by 12 people. • The Wellness Fair is scheduled for May 19 from 2:00-4:30pm at the Brewster Baptist Church. Past participants are being contacted. • Trips to the Cape Cod Mall and lunch at the Daniel Webster Inn are planned. • A program on Social Security followed by a reception is being planned at the end of May for Older Americans Month. Bob Blancato, a Brewster part-time resident and aging policy expert, will give an address about the current and future state of Social Security and Congressional considerations. U.S. Representative Keating and the Cape members of the State Legislature will be invited. A venue is being identified. • "Planning Ahead", a program on end -of -life care planning, is being planned for early June. Included will be a presentation about critical documents and discussion about having often difficult conversations with family members about end -of -life preferences and plans. Other details can be found in the Action Plan Implementation Report. 7. Update on UMass contract for Needs Assessment & Development contract of next 5 -Year Action Plan S. Tennstedt reported that there has been a delay in the Town's submission for a Community Compact Grant to fund the Needs Assessment Survey. Once the application is submitted, we should know within 10-14 days. UMass is aware of the delay. 8. Fundraising The request for CPC funds to purchase 6 accessible benches and 2 picnic tables for Freeman's Way Fields is contingent on Town Meeting approval in May. Discussion ensued about the funding request to the Cape Cod Realtors Association for benches and lighting improvements on Brewster Road which leads to Fredericks Court, Wells Court and Brewster Woods housing. A. Nevins learned that, with the exception of an easement on the first 250'off 6A, the road is owned by the Brewster Housing Authority up to Frederick Court. Therefore, the Board of Commissioners must approve this project prior to the funding request. Motion: Submit a letter to the Board of Commissioners requesting approval for placement of benches and lighting. Approved unanimously. A. Nevins will draft a letter to the Board. While up to $7,500 can be requested from the Realtors Association, a grant not exceeding $5,000 can be submitted by the COA without Town approval and then the benches can be gifted to the Town. Costs to install the benches and lighting must be included in the grant application. It was also noted that benches are of interest at the dog park outside the fence, at the pickle ball courts at Stony Brook School, and at the bay property swimming pool. 9. Committee Reports a. Recreation No report b. Vision Planning Committee No report c. Bay Property Planning Committee S. Tennstedt reported that the pool will open the last weekend in June and be open from 7am-6pm through August and possibly on weekends in September contingent on availability of lifeguards. Pool attendance will be limited to 100 residents at any one time, requiring 4 lifeguards or 1 lifeguard:25 swimmers. Membership fees will be structured to provide a discount for residents age 70+, with books of guest passes available for family/guests. Planned programs include: water aerobics (potentially 2 levels) in morning hours; designated morning times for lane swimming; designated times for swimming without lanes; and swim lessons. It has yet to be decided if membership fees in addition to class fees will be required for those only interested in a class. Reed Hildebrand continues the process of "discovery" on the property. d. Board of Health P. Holeman reported that the Board's current focus does not affect any COA business. e. Housing L. Usher reported there was no update from the Housing Partnership.. She commented on the current local market, noting that the median housing price has declined from $721,000 to $705,000, that houses are staying on the market longer, and that the selling price has declined from $100.7% to 94% of asking price. There is still high buyer demand but low inventory. Given the housing situation, A. Nevins brought up a prior suggestion for a program on ADUs, including explanation of the 5 types of ADUs, relevant Town zoning regulations, construction costs and financing. It was agreed that a panel presentation would be planned for September. Possible participants include J. Scalise and D. Kalinick, the Housing Partnership, the Housing Assistance Corporation, builders, and bankers. f. Finance Committee H. Pivirotto reported that the Select Board and Finance Committee held joint sessions for review of Department budgets. She noted that the school budgets, which account for half of the Town operating budget, are outstanding, and that there are indications that they will exceed 2.5% increases. g. Select Board C. Bingham commented that, if the school budgets exceed 2.5%, an operating override will be required. Without an override, serious cuts in Department budgets that will affect programs and services will be required. 10. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair S. Tennstedt reminded the Board that the Select Board voted to allow in-person meetings starting March 15t This means that members of the public might choose to attend our meetings. 11. Next Meetings The next COA meeting is scheduled for March 16, 2023. 12. Adjournment Motion: Adjourn the meeting. Approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 2:14pm. Respectfully submitted, Sharon Tennstedt